Top Mantle Card from Crazy ’52 Find Now at Auction

Fifty years after his final season, a trio of Mickey Mantle lots are expected to be among the big sellers in Heritage Auctions’ Summer Platinum sale.  Two high-grade 1952 Topps Mantle cards, including one from a remarkable find on east coast earlier this spring, are on the block.  Part of a virtually untouched early 1950s childhood collection consigned in April, the 8.5 carried a $525,000 bid as of early Sunday and is expected to surpass $1 million. 

Another collector’s PSA 8 being offered in the sale stood at $220,000. 

Also up for grabs is the 1964 jersey “the Mick” was wearing as he hit the 17th and 18th World Series home runs of his Hall of Fame career. Bidding for the jersey is already approaching $300,000.

“These three lots should account for more than $2 million in sales alone,” said Chris Ivy, Director of Sports Auctions for Heritage. “It’s a testament to the both the enduring strength of the Mantle legacy, and of the sports collectibles marketplace as a whole.”

In all, Heritage believes more than a dozen items could fetch six-figure price tags when the auction wraps up on August 18-19.

The auction includes Ruth’s 48th home run ball from that campaign– the only self-authenticated example known, a game model Lou Gehrig bat and Ruth’s 1930-31 player contract, which has a current high bid of $140,000.

In addition to the 1952 Mantle cards, the auction also includes a rare 1916 Indianapolis Brewing Company Babe Ruth rookie card (PSA 4), a 1917 Collins-McCarthy Joe Jackson (PSA 8), rare 1914 Boston Garter cards of Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson, a 1914 Cracker Jack Christy Mathewson (PSA 5) and a PSA 8.5 T206 Mathewson.

A large selection of game jerseys from well-known football players includes one from LSU legend Billy Cannon, a shirt that once served as a dust rag, then a woman’s favorite pajama top before being rescued, plus others from Fred Biletnikoff, Ray Nitschke, Jerry Rice, Emmitt Smith, Brett Favre, Joe Montana and others.

Additional highlights include:

• Circa 1910 Piedmont Cigarettes Oversized Tri-Fold Advertising Sign, one of just two known, restored to like-new condition (est. $40,000-up)

• 1952 Ted Williams Game Worn Boston Red Sox Jersey, MEARS A10 (est. $80,000-up)

• 1955-56 Jackie Robinson Game Used Bat, PSA/DNA GU 9 – originally acquired from the Robinson family archives (est. $300,000-up)

• 1960 Oscar Robertson Rome Summer Olympics Game Worn USA Basketball Team Jersey, MEARS A10 (est. $80,000-up)

• Circa 1960 Stan Mikita Game Worn Chicago Black Hawks Jersey(est. $20,000-up)

• 1964 American League Most Valuable Player Award from The Brooks Robinson Collection, accompanied by Robinson letter of provenance (est. $150,000-up)

Related Stories:

1964 Mantle Jersey Sells for $1.32 Million Mantle, Ruth Items Lead Pack in Multi-Million Dollar Auction Knievel, Korbut, Cards All Part of Big Heritage Sale 2 Ruth Rookies; “Several” 1952 Mantles Part of 2,500 Lot REA Auction Six-Figure Sock Holder: 1914 Boston Garter Ty Cobb Heading to Auction Notes: MJ Olympic Jersey to Auction; James Playoff Jersey Soars; NM ’52 Mantle Sells Ruth, Mantle Items, Rare Memorabilia Among Goldin Auctions Headliners Retiree Talks of Seven-Figure Collection With 5 1952 Topps Mantle Cards 1964 Mickey Mantle World Series Jersey on Display at NSCC Armored Car Brings 1952 Topps Mantle PSA 10 to Exhibit

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for more than 30 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected]